Thread of the Day: What Do Automakers Still Get Wrong in New Car Redesigns?

2013 Ford Mustang GT High Gear from SEMA is Highlighted on Latest Downshift

New cars are becoming more advanced than ever before, but do you occasionally feel something is missing? We've seen newly redesigned cars offered with upgraded performance delivered simultaneously with lower emissions and cool interior technology, yet still keeping prices under control.That may work out just fine for most consumers, but some discerning automotive enthusiasts in our forums feel automakers are still getting certain details wrong in new car redesigns.Snivy notes that it seems like nearly every vehicle is being engineered for maximum mileage, even performance cars. Alex daOriginal has had enough of a recent design trend: massive grilles. Other suggestions included building more three-row SUVs with genuinely comfortable third-row seats as well as reducing the overabundance of connectivity technology in some cars. Eliminating plastic wheel covers with steel wheels and steering wheels with too many buttons were two additional suggestions.What do you think automakers still get wrong in new car redesigns? Read the original Thread of the Day started by Frisky_Dingohere and share your thoughts below.

The new redesign's looks just like to old model, which beg the question why should i buy a new car when they look just alike???? (NEW DESIGN MEANS TOTALLY NEW SHEET METAL) and also No more SMALL gas tanks 12.5 is to little!!!!! an we all know which car company is the worst at this (H).

There are engines and other stuff that have never changed over years, I'm talking about Renault and its derivates (Dacia, Nissan, Infiniti). For example, Versa engine has the same technology although it changed in sheetmetal, style and appearance (interior included), the rest is the same. Infiniti G37/Nissan 370Z have the same outdated platform. If the idea is reducing production costs, Renault is doing it well.

The famous Lexus spindle-grille is annoying to my eyes, what does Toyota want to show? Is that a new signature for Lexus? I can picture out how IS350 will look like. Finally, the plastic inside... there are several good-quality materials in the world that automakers can use instead of cheaper plastics, why do they continue using that s***?

Fake woodgrain and fake metal trim just says that the car isn't worth using the real stuff. And if they are trying to fool me in such obvious ways, where else are they cutting corners? If the car isn't worth using the real stuff, find a different type of material.

Rollover safety has improved massively but the resulting huge A pillars have created another safety issue. It seems designers haven't yet worked out how to get the necessary strength as well as curtain airbag into the A pillar without making it so big that drivers have to move around in their seat to see the road when driving around bends.

Offering a previous generation engine in an "all new" car. All Automakers are guilty of this to some degree, but some really push it, such as Volkswagen offering a TWENTY+ YEAR OLD 2.0 liter SOHC (that wasn't very impressive when it was new) I-4 in the Jetta or Cadillac offering the sorry 54 degree V6 from the Catera in the first couple of years of the CTS. The ugly a$$ '58 Edsel looking "horse collar" grills (that I think started with Audi) are played out. Several current Hyundai models were good-looking cars (the Genesis Coupe in particular) until these eyesores started appearing on them. Also, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to design an "all new" car that looks EXACTLY like the car it replaces amounts to "punching the clock" as does having your entire model range look EXACTLY the same !!

Everything binging,bonging, and beeping. I know my door is open ok, I know my seatbelt isn't on ok. I don't need to be reminded of this every 5 seconds. I don't need a light coming on telling me when to shift, or some kind of symbol coming on to tell me i'm driving efficently. (I've been told by my car to shift into 6th gear as slow as 26 mph.) If you don't know the difference between when you're driving efficently or not...you shouldn't be driving. Also, automatic headlamps, one touch automatic windows, rain sensing wipers, and rear view cameras or warning chimes. If you're to dumb to realize its dark,raining, to close to something,or to lazy to hold a button for 5 seconds you shouldnt be driving. Oh man don't even get me started on the car parallel parking itself. Or lane departure warning sytems, safely automatic cruise control distances. And computer controlled braking....pay attention or get off the road.

I think the outright ripping off of other designs such as what Hyundai have been doing, same as for what Lexus did with ripping Mercedes, this is not about following trends and it just says to me that the manufacturer can't design on its own. Bring out something different, go your own way. I guess that is why I became such a fan of what Chrysler was doing with some very fresh nice bold designing with the production cars very close to what we saw in concept form.

And were are the affordable performance cars? What day is it? what is the present economy? hello? The ones that you can also affordably mod yourself such as what we had in 68 with the intro of the Roadrunner and all the cars like it.

Gice me a modular engine room and wiring harness on a decent and also upgradable platform, license the parts to make it profitable - half the fun is DYI.

I have to say options and materials used in new cars is upsetting. Why do they still put paper speakers in brand new cars when theres hundreds of aftermarket manufacturers? How come the factory that makes that cheap grey plastic interior cant add any dye to the mix for a lesser price? And why do I have to buy a certain interior package to get black interior as an option? What happened to the cheap fun car? Why do they put backseats in 2 door convertibles? Placing the instrument gauges in the center of the dash helps who read it? The kids in the back seat? Whatever happened to manual windows and door locks? Same with true roadsters. Why cant I buy a car thats more automobile than computer?

Normally I'd agree with the plastic hubcaps on steel wheels. It just screams "base trim." However, I bought a new Focus SE that came with steels wheels with caps. At first I wanted to switch them out immediately, but they started growing on me. To me they look larger on the car than the alloys that Ford offers on other trim levels. Plus I'm not so sure I want large, open rims showing off the drum brakes in the back.

Seriously, that's another thing. Four wheel disc brakes with anti-lock should be standard on every new car. It can't cost that much more to put discs on the rear.

I'm sick of every single manufacturer ripping off Audi with the twinkle LED lights on everything now. Some are so cheesey that it looks like somebody just stuck a cheap LED light strip on the front corners of the car. I'm all for using LED as a form of head light as they use much less energy and are brighter. I'm talking about the companies that use it as decoration and have nothing to do with the head lights.

Everything is great and headed in the right direction, except for one thing.......Most premium car makers are not offering a true manual transmission option for the bare bones enthusiast that actually enjoy shifting a car by themselves. F1 paddle shifting is kool and all, shifts come quick and sure, but takes away from the raw driving pleasure that a lot of people still appreciate.

Making changes for the sake of something different usually turns up a vehicle whose design is disturbing. This usually affects lights, grills, bumpers. Such an example is Lexus' sports front bumper. You end up with a futuristic front on an aging body design.

First, Structural integrity. New mid-size sedans such as the Camry and Altima really didn't improve in that category. Secondly, sound dampening, Yes, it keeps getting better. If an Accord is now very quiet, any car can be quieter so get to it. These past two gripes aren't just about cost cutting, but cutting weight for the sake of fuel economy... Make a better compromise. Lastly, make cars FEEL again.

Most automakers are dropping their 6 cylinder engines, which really sucks. Alot of the new cars are getting stuck with underpowered 4-cylinder or turbo-4 engines. Although I have never personally driven any of the new turbo-4 engines, I would rather not have to deal with turbo lag.

I truly feel that every thing has been done..I think consumer's are at the point where they want car companies to take it to the next level. With how advanced technology is I feel that consumers have every right to feel that way..Give us bold style..an interior that is current with the times (plenty of touch screens and voice activated features), a solid frame and overall good reliability and value at a decent price. Also keep in mind that this nation is ready for this type of product old or young...I mean common my grandma even has a smart phone!

It's true... plastic wheel covers look really bad, what is going on right now is that car makers are not really taking risks, look at hyundai/kia, really futuristic styling that ended up being really tastefull to a lot of people, they are growing really fast because of that... and I know that some others are doing the same now or have been doing it for a long time, but they end messing it up with it, take the pontiac aztek, honda element and most saturns and GMs for example, some looked great as a concept, looked crap as production, I think that is the main problem with new redesigns.

@jessi Go drive some of better cars with great 4-cylinder turbos, like the GTI. There is no turbo lag. In Europe, where gas is around $8/gal, there are many cars with small turbo engines. I drove a SEAT Leon a while back. Great little car with a fantastic turbo engine.